


The Worst (Best) Christmas Ever

by scratches



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alpine - Freeform, Angst, Christmas fic, F/M, Frenemies, Happy Ending, Pre-Relationship, Snow Storm, alpine is the best, alpine is the worst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:49:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28306323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scratches/pseuds/scratches
Summary: Down in the dumps, Darcy has to unexpectedly share Clint's flat in Bed Stuy with Bucky (and Alpine) for the holidays
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Darcy Lewis
Comments: 11
Kudos: 149
Collections: Darcyverse Secret Santa





	The Worst (Best) Christmas Ever

**Author's Note:**

  * For [keznik](https://archiveofourown.org/users/keznik/gifts).



> accidentally wrote you two and a half secret santa fics.
> 
> I hope you have a wonderful holiday!

Darcy wasn't sure what to make of the large white cat meowing at the top of the tree. Especially since the tree was in Clint's place in Bed Stuy and it was supposedly empty so she could stay there for the holidays. Away from her computer. Away from word documents. Away from Jane. Away from Science. And definitely away from Nick Fury.

The cat meowed louder before she heard someone call out, "Get outta the tree, ya bonehead." 

She winced. Bucky Barnes. She was going to kill Clint. He was the bane of her existence for putting her in this situation. She was supposed to have a quiet Christmas. No aliens, no adventures, no madness, and definitely _no_ Bucky Barnes, the one Avenger (sort of) that was always around, always watching, asking her questions about what she was doing and why she was doing it. The one that interrupted her dissertation research to bring her food and drink. 

"Alpine doesn't look like he is going anywhere, he's stuck at the top," Darcy called out. The refrigerator door closed in the kitchen and she could see Bucky's smiling face suddenly in the hall. 

She snapped the handle to her rolling suitcase down before pulling her hat and gloves off. Her heavy down jacket was next. A free room to stay in New York City was still a free place to stay. Bucky Barnes be damned. 

And Sam Wilson. Who was suspiciously absent. 

Alpine's bright eyes stared down at her and he let out a loud yowl. One green and one blue eye blinked before Darcy watched in slow motion as the tree started to tilt. "Oh no!" She abandoned her zipper and tried to dart across the room in time. 

Somehow, Bucky saved the tree, catching it as it fell about halfway to the ground, all the ornaments shifting to hang to the side. "Get out of the tree, you hellion," he grumbled at the cat. He looked over his shoulder at her and smiled rakishly, "Hey, doll."

With another yowl, Alpine looked between the two of them before pouncing out of the tree, jumping off of Bucky's head to launch himself right into Darcy's arms. Where he was like a slippery noodle. It took Darcy a few moments to grasp the rotund cat but in the end, he was safe and sound, held against her chest, purring. 

"Traitor," Bucky mumbled. With a gentle push Bucky righted the tree and took a step back. "What do you think? Will Clint know that it's been knocked over six times?"

Her brows rose high, "Six times?" Darcy looked down at the troublemaker in her arms. "Six times?"

"He's a bonehead," Bucky said happily. He stood before them and reached to scratch behind Alpine's ears. "Ripped the shower curtain to shreds too."

"Are you a bad kitty?" Darcy held him up. She knew the answer to that and it was a resounding yes. Alpine agreed and purred louder. 

"He was born to the streets, ya know. You can take the cat from the streets but not the streets from the cat." 

Alpine's antics were the stuff of legend. Between Sam, Bucky, and Clint telling her stories. Clint's kids even chiming in once when they pet sat. The times where she had the pleasure of watching him. Alpine shredded more than three pairs of her socks, chewed holes in her underpants, and stole more than his fair share of her dinner, multiple packs of hair ties went suspiciously missing when she watched him. Of course there was that time he chewed Nathaniel's toy train until all that was left was plastic confetti.

He spent two days at the vet to make sure he didn't have a blockage from the train. Darcy remembered because Bucky via Clint begged her to go pick him up. First Bucky had been brought to the field and the cat was under Clint's watchful eye. Then, of course, Clint was called out and no one else in the building was responsible enough to look after a cat. And then of course were the times that Bucky handed Alpine off himself before a mission. Fury was never amused when he found the fat cat sitting on her desk yowling loudly and kicking litter into the hall.

With a kiss to Alpine's little head, Darcy placed him on the floor and went back to her suitcase, "Are you in the guest bedroom or did you take Clint's room?"

His hands stopped their fiddling of an ornament with a photo of Natasha in it and looked at her. "Oh, right, I'm in the guest," he cleared his throat, "I was actually supposed to be on a mission by now." Bucky plucked a piece of last year's tinsel off the tree and pocketed it. "Probably why you're surprised to see me." She looked pointedly at Alpine. "Guessing Barton didn't tell you you'd have a feline roommate over the holidays?"

"Does Barton ever tell anyone anything?" Darcy sighed heavily. Her suitcase was heavy with all of the cold weather gear she could scrounge up from her meager possessions. It was a quick walk around the living room and past the small bathroom before she kicked open Clint's bedroom door. It wasn't that it was _messy_ it was just...unkempt. Dropping the suitcase, she dove into the (hopefully) clean(ish) blanket and screamed into the pillow. She hoped that Bucky would keep his super hearing to himself and wouldn't eavesdrop on her. It would be just her luck.

Why couldn't anything ever go perfect. Nope, two hour delay while sitting on a train from D.C. to New York; Fury calling her and Jane from _space_ to tell them to expect a package being delivered by a _raccoon_ ; her mother telling her not to come home for the holidays because she was going to Florida for a Solo-cation; her father was on life break in the wilds of Montana building log cabins and hunting deer; and her sister who just had a baby and didn't want to have to _deal with your problems, Darcy_ told her not to visit. 

It wasn't a good couple of weeks. They really took their toll on her and Clint took one look at her when he was consulting for Fury in D.C. and handed her a copy of his keys. It was with a pint of Gentleman Jack between them before he was able to pull the story from her. 

She just wanted eleven blissful days where she could sit back, relax, do some reading, make her favorite holiday recipes, and binge watch all the shitty Bruce Willis movies she could find. 

Now, Darcy didn't know if she even wanted to get out of the bed. 

Alpine made the decision for her. He bounced onto her back and wacked at the furry bobble on her hat until Darcy snatched it off her head and stuffed it under her body. With another deep breath, she shoved her face back into the pillow and screamed. Alpine screamed with her.

It took a good hour for Darcy to finally unpack with Alpine under foot. Then it was another hour for her to actually tidy up Clint's room enough for her to want to actually stay. Laura would be disgusted with the three empty pizza boxes she found piled under the bed next to his seldom used crossbow.

Alpine watched her from his spot atop of a scratched archery bag, tail swishing back and forth and eyes intent. Gently, she wiped the dust off the photo of him and his family and then wiped the one of him and Natasha. Alpine suddenly yowled loudly like he was being stepped on in the corner. Darcy jumped and almost dropped Natasha's photo, she barely caught it before it crashed to the floor.

"What the fuck is wrong with your cat?" She yelled, hoping Bucky could hear her.

"Beats me," he poked his head in the room, "get out of there, cat." Bucky snapped his fingers and pointed down the hall. Alpine narrowed his eyes at Bucky before he jumped off the bag, hissed, and ran towards the kitchen. "I know we're ruining your plans, and I'd say that we'll be so quiet you won't know we are here, but we know that's not true." Bucky shoved his hands deep in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. 

One finger was held up as Darcy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She released it slowly and said, "I will be binge watching Bruce Willis movies and eating Chinese food until I can't walk tonight," a smile spread across Bucky's face. She hated that smile, "And tomorrow I'll be sleeping late."

It was actually impossible to sleep late with Alpine in the flat. "Leave her alone, you bonehead," she heard Bucky hiss at the cat. Alpine only scratched at Clint's door more intently. His paws pushed the door on its hinges until it rattled. 

"You better have coffee on." She knew that Bucky could hear her mumble. Super soldier hearing was notorious when they actually honed in on something to hear.

His low chuckle and feet shuffling on the carpet was all that Darcy heard before the pantry door squeaked open. Darcy rolled onto her back and huffed. Well, that was one way to start the day.

It didn't get much better from there. 

Alpine scratched her foot the moment she opened the door as he tore into the room, looking for something only he could see. Her ankle twisted when she stepped out of the shower. Then, because Alpine was literally the worst sometimes, she dropped her third mug of coffee on the floor when he decided to ascend her back via his claws to jump onto the top of cabinets. 

That was all before noon.

She cut open her hand cleaning up the ceramic pieces of the mug. Bucky apologized profusely and tried to help by pulling out the mop and broom. Alpine knocked over the Christmas tree for real, the star on top crunching under the cat's weight as he sat on it. Bucky righted the tree and attempted to fix the star. It ended up being an Alpine casualty. And while she was finally trying to settle down to watch her fourth Bruce Willis film of her vacation, her phone started to buzz with an emergency alert. 

Then Bucky's phone started to buzz with an emergency alert. 

They both looked at their phones and Darcy was a second away from throwing hers across the room. The small storm that was supposed to supply her with a beautiful white Christmas joined with another storm system and now it was going to hit them slow and furious. With a chance of Thunder Snow. A snow-pocalypse.

Her phone might not have been thrown but she picked up one of Nathaniel's squishable animal pillows (Mr. Penguin) and chucked it (with force) across the room. Darcy, Bucky, and Alpine watched as it hit the tree and it slowly tipped over. 

"I hate today," Darcy crossed her arms and sunk back into the couch. A jolly popsicle stick reindeer swung back and forth, mocking her. Bucky stood up and padded his way around the couch. Flinching under his soft sudden grip on her shoulder, Darcy sunk even further. "Today has been awful." His hand squeezed her for a second before Bucky let go and moved to the tree. He picked up Mr. Penguin and gently tossed him towards the toy pile in the corner of the room. 

"Don't you even dare," he hissed. Darcy looked up and watched as Alpine tiptoed his way across the room. He was crouched down and doing the kitty butt wiggle. "No snacks if you take one step towards this tree." Immediately Alpine's butt stopped wiggling and he sat back on his haunches and let out a horrible long yowl like someone was torturing him...again. 

Darcy could feel the tear start its roll down her cheek. "Your cat is pitiful," she sniffed and wiped at the other tears that started to well up.

"Aw, doll, a tipped tree ain't worth cryin' over," Bucky said. He quickly righted the tree and ignored the ornaments that fell off. Darcy watched Alpine jump and bat at a small, stray, silver bauble. 

Hiding her head in her arms, body folded over her knees, Darcy let out a quiet sob, "Everything is going wrong," she picked up her head and whipped her hands to the side, "No one in my family wants me with them for the holiday, Jane is playing with her new space doo-dad, Clint dropped the ball, I broke the tree, there's a damn nor'easter on it's way, tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and I am not prepared to be locked down with _you_." Alpine ran to her and dropped the bauble in her lap. 

"It can't be that bad?" Bucky asked and plucked Alpine up from the cushion to hold him in his arms. 

She reached towards him for Alpine and Bucky handed him over. The cat immediately started to purr as she held him like a baby over her shoulder. Laying her head against his fat body, Darcy sniffed, "And now I'm crying in front of you…like a girl."

Bucky sat down on the other end of the couch and Darcy watched him tap his finger tips against his knees. Did he even know what he did to her? "I can leave, if you'd rather be alone," he finally whispered.

Her chest rose and fell heavily. "That's the last thing I want," she whispered into Alpine's fur. Bucky nodded before folding himself into the couch too. Alpine was content to lay in her arms until the buzzing of Bucky's phone startled him. Claws in her shoulder, Alpine took a leap off of her and ricocheted off the wall. A photo of Natasha, Clint, and his family swayed on its hook. "What the hell is wrong with your cat, dude."

Bucky shrugged and grabbed his phone from the cushion between them. Bucky mussed his hair with his vibranium hand and Darcy watched him bite his lip as he read the message. The Stark phone was passed to Darcy and Bucky shook his head. "They're telling us to shelter in place."

The message in her hand was from an encrypted number on an encrypted messaging server. The non-essential team members of Earth's Mightiest Heroes were to shelter in place during the storm about to blow in. The messenger double checked his coordinates which Bucky sent an affirmative back along that she was in the building too. 

"Do you know where his emergency generator and stuff is?" Darcy asked.

"I'll text him. Make sure he doesn't need me to shovel the stoop, get him to text and see if Mrs. Watson needs anything before it gets bad out there." They both turned and stared at the window. The bright street lights shine bright. The moon was just a sliver but the night was clear. The calm before the storm. 

She held the phone out to him and he pulled it back to his body before typing out a lengthy message. Darcy let the tears dry on her cheeks. She felt puffy. The thought that Darcy should make the best of the situation flowed across her mind quickly. Why shouldn't she. Why shouldn't they. So she felt like she made a fool out herself every time they're together. Why should that keep her from the best New York City vacation ever? She could rub it in her family’s face later. Plans to take photos in front of “The Windows”, on top of the Statue of Liberty, sledding down Clint’s street, cookie decorating, Bruce Willis quoting, more Chinese food on New Years, and maybe, just maybe getting along with Bucky Barnes (and Alpine).

Abruptly she stood and dusted off her thighs, "I'm going to wash my face and then we'll walk to the bodega." Darcy pointed at him, "This is going to be the best-shelter-in-place Christmas you've ever had." She pointed at Alpine, "And you're going to behave." He cocked his head and chirped. 

Bucky crossed his arms and reclined into the couch, "Best Christmas I've ever had? Those are some big words." She wanted to wipe the smirk off of his face...with her face.

Looming over him, Darcy poked him, "Best.Christmas.Ever."

He held her gaze. It was an intense look and she was the first to look away. "I hope you can back up those words, Darcy Lewis."

"Just you wait, Bucky Barnes, you'll never want to spend Christmas with anyone but me ever again." Darcy took a step back as he stood from the couch. She looked up, his smirk was still there.

"And if you're already the only one I want to spend Christmas with?" His hand grasped her hip and held her steady so she didn't fall back onto the coffee table. 

Her brain froze. Wait. What. Darcy blinked. "What?" she whispered.

"You heard me," Bucky said cockily. "Isn't anyone out there I'd rather be spending Christmas with."

Darcy raised her hand up to protest. "We don't really know…"

He shook his head and chuckled. "Darcy," he tilted her face up gently, "we know each other." Darcy felt her cheeks redden with a blush.

"We've never hung out or anything," she attempted to rationalize.

"Really?" A dark brow lifted and challenged her.

"I mean.." who the hell was she kidding. He had escorted her and Jane no less than three times from one facility to another, bought her coffee on more than eighteen occasions (she stopped counting), invited her out with the rest of the team multiple times, intervened with Fury more than once but less than thrice, dropped Alpine in her arms and a copy of his keys last minute before a mission, and it might have not been with him but she's totally slept in his bed and found the glock behind his headboard. And the medicine cabinet. And the knives under the coffee table. "Oh." On her birthday he had tossed her a heavy box that she fumbled with until it fell to the floor, scattering it's contents at her feet. The gag gifts that fell out hid the very thoughtful book on Hobbesian Theory. The one she couldn't afford or find to read for her dissertation. Her eyes widened, "Oh." The dissertation she finally finished this semester. The dissertation that was currently under review. " _Oh!_ " How had she missed the signs.

"Yeah, oh," he laughed and stepped to the side. "But, you said best Christmas ever? Let's make this the best Christmas ever, Darcy Lewis."


End file.
